Exclusive: Syfy greenlights magic series “Close Up Kings”

The reality series, which follows three sleight-of-hand artists as they travel the U.S., is a coproduction between London's Zig Zag Productions and Toronto's Yap Films.

U.S. cable network Syfy has picked up the street magic reality show Close Up Kings.

Produced by London-headquartered Zig Zag Productions and Toronto’s Yap Films, the 8 x 60 minute-series follows sleight-of-hand artists Magick Balay, Loki, and Johnny Blaze as they travel the United States attempting to one-up each other with increasingly complex tricks, such as a Houdini-style jail escape and teleporting a person 700 yards across a desert.

“Magic programming is very much en vogue and we believe the key to creating internationally successful shows in this genre is to constantly try to reinvent what a magic show should be,” said Zig Zag CEO Danny Fenton. “Close Up Kings is unique in that the series is as much about three buddies having fun on the road as the incredible close up illusions they create on their journey.”

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Daniele Alcinii is a news editor at realscreen, the leading international publisher of non-fiction film and television industry news and content. He joined the RS team in 2015 with experience in journalism following a stint out west with Sun Media in Edmonton's Capital Region, and with communications work in Melbourne, Australia and Toronto. You can follow him on Twitter at @danielealcinii.